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Issue link: http://freshcup.epubxp.com/i/105573
taste good." Typically, she says, such conversations will then turn into on-the-phone education sessions about grind consistency and dosage. "We end up getting them to try it again with some better procedure," Scholl says, "and the situation will resolve itself." You may also want to view discussions with unhappy customers as a way to get those individuals to better understand your business and the realities of coffee and tea as a whole. A customer who's upset your green tea doesn't taste the same as the green tea they purchased elsewhere simply may not know the huge variances that exist in that category. And they also might not realize that even if they return a coffee or tea virtually untouched, you still can't turn around and re-sell it. "We just tell them that's how it is," says Centella of Chakra 4. "We tell them we have to throw it away." Some owners say that while it's important to be responsive and understanding to customers' desires, it's also important to stand up for your own product. It's possible to diplomatically explain that while national grocery stores might take back any product no questions asked, you are selling a specialty food—and you are doing so independently. Comparisons with other categories can help. "You don't go to the farmers market," says Scholl of Lexington Coffee Roasters, "and try some kind of vegetable you haven't had before, take it home and cook it and then say, 'I don't really like this. I think I'll take it back.'" HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY Regardless of the specific policy you create to address refunds and returns, you'd be wise to leave some wiggle room. You may find you want to break your own guidelines at times—not to make things harder for customers, but to make sure they are impressed and satisfied by your actions. Centella, for example, says that even though her return policy explicitly forbids refunds due to subjective matters, she'll often end up making a "judgment call" when she thinks the person may have been slightly confused when ordering or if they simply won't listen to her arguments. Dutton of Ozo echoes those notions, pointing out that if a customer actually takes the time to reach out to the company and voice dissatisfaction, then it may be worth eating the cost of the product and moving on. "Ultimately, we follow the philosophy that the customer is always right," he says. That mind-set could be viewed as giving in, but it can also be seen as a small price to pay for showing you care about your patrons' experience. In the end, a refund policy is in many ways a form of marketing. It demonstrates the fact that the product really matters to the company, and that consumers do as well. What's more, as online buying continues to grow and consumers try to decide whether they should trust you before clicking your company their cash, thought-out refund guidelines can help boost sales. "Most consumers shopping online use the return policy in their decision-making on whether to do business or not," says Reierson of Ego Tea. "A generous return policy might eat at your margins short-term but will pay off in the long run, granted you listen and act upon consumer feedback." freshcup.com February 2013 43